Beast Wars
by Power Within
Summary: An exciting retelling of The Beast Wars story with a few new twists. Note set in same continuity as 2007 Movie
1. Chapter 1

**Beast Wars **

(as if made after the movie)

Season One  
Episode 1  
**Beast Wars  
****Part One**

**Characte****rs:**

**Maximals:  
****Opt****imus Primal  
****Rhinox  
****Ratrap  
****Cheeto****r  
****Lisa "Li" Witwicky (Human Liason)**

**Predacons:  
****Megatron  
****Dinobot  
****Scorpinok  
****T****a****rantulas  
****Ter****rorsaur  
****Waspinator  
**

Two ships flew through a time warp firing on each other. One was a Maximal exploration ship and the other was a Predacon attack ship. On the Maximal ship, a young unnamed Maximal cadet yelled, "Hull breach in Sector Seven! Guidance Systems failing!" "Aww, Man! This is ridiculous! We're an exploration ship, not a battle cruiser!" Whined a small, unnamed middled-aged Maximal from the mines on Cybertron. "Stop complaining! We're in the battle of our lives, and all you're doing is complaining?" Yelled Li, the sixteen year old female Human Liaison, over the comm who was strapped in, in her quarters.

The small veteran yelled back, "Well what the slag are you doing? You're all nice and safe." "I'm only as safe as the ship idiot! I would be up there helping you, but our overprotective leader who follows my overprotective father's orders confined me to quarters. Besides I'm trying to figure out what Megatron wants with this planet!" "Shut up you two!" yelled the big veteran sitting next to the smaller one. The young cadet yelled, "The shields are doing a major fade!" Optimus Primal, the rookie commander, ordered, "Plasma cannons to full!"

On the Predacon ship, a brutal voice yelled, "Their shields are down, now destroy them!" Megatron, their leader only laughed. "Now where's the fun in that? A little torment, I think first. Yes. Side guns!"

Cries from the Maximal ship ensued. The young cadet yelled, "Ugh! Rupture! The stasis hold is failing!" The big veteran groaned. "We're going down." Optimus Primal yelled, "Launch all stasis pods! Get them into safe orbit! ... All Plasma Cannons FIRE!" Megatron screamed in frustration. Both ships fell to the unknown planet below.

Optimus groaned and asked for a damage report. The young cadet said ironically, "Believe me, you don't want to know." "Ugh. That's what I thought. Li, how are you doing back there?" No answer. "Li, report!" A groan came over the comm. "Not so hot back here, Optimus. Gonna need some help… the walls have collapsed… and I'm still strapped in." "Oh. Hold on. We'll get back to you as soon as we can."

Over in the Predacon ship, Megatron activated navigations. "Navigations! Is this the right planet?" "Unknown. Course settings were accurate, but readings are inconsistent with intended destination." "Never mind that! Tell me if there is Energon here." "Confirmed." "YES! The planet has Energon!" "Too much Energon. Field readings are off the scale. Continued exposure to robot forms will result in permanent damage." Megatron slammed his fist down in anger.

"Then we will create alternate forms based on the most powerful local forms." The robot with the mad scientist laugh, laughed and said, "Scanners activated," as he sent out a probe. The skeletal remains of a Tyrannosaurus, a Pterodactyl, and a Volasceraptor, as well as a living wasp, tarantula, and scorpion were found.

Meanwhile, at the Maximal ship, after rescuing Li, the Maximals made their own scans. "Scanning and replication of local life forms complete. You may emerge." "Rawow Rawor! Look at me!" Yelled the young cadet. "I'm a cheetah. No. No. I'm Cheetor!" "Hmm, interesting," said Optimus Primal. "Interesting? Optimus, the word is spot on smooth. Hee hee hee, it's a crime."

"Hmm, it's a bit tacky. You never had taste did you kid? Now this, this is what class is all about," said the small veteran who had taken the form of a rat. "Call me Ratrap." "Oh yeah? How about I cut mices to pieces?" "Ease back, Cheetor. Living large is for forms like me. Rhinox!" "And consider yourselves lucky I didn't get rough on ya'lls." Li watched quietly from her seat, where she was taking readings of the planet. She knew they still needed time to get used to their new forms, and instincts.

Their beast forms worried her. Something was not right here. Megatron stole the Golden Discs – he should have been on his way to Earth. Course settings were accurate, but readings were not. So far animal life proved accurate, her Maximal crewmates' beast forms attested to that, but there were two moons… and Earth did not have two moons. There was Energon but too much. Something told her that Megatron wouldn't make the mistake of coming to the wrong planet.

The form replicator door released and Optimus stepped out, having chosen the form of a gorilla. "Moderate your conflict circuits Maximals! Remember, these beast forms are to protect us from the long term effects of the Energon fields out there. We may need Energon for power, but this is too much of a good thing. Our robot forms will start to short out after a few minutes of exposure."

He walked up to Li's console. "This is one unusual planet, whatever it is. Li, have you confirmed our location?" "No, Optimus, readings do not match known areas of space or planets." She decided not to share her musings just yet. Perhaps, if she figured out this mystery on her own, he wouldn't be so protective of her.

"That might be because the trans-warp drive can go through space and time. We were locked onto Megatron's warp signal. We could be any place, any time," said Rhinox. Li looked away. Could Earth have had two moons and a lot of Energon at one time? Optimus didn't notice as he said, "And our crew is orbiting the planet. They're safe from the Energon fields, but it means Megatron has us outnumbered six to four."

Li cleared her throat. "Sir, I count five – and before you say anything, I know that my adopted father, Lord Bumblebee of the Council of Elders asked you to protect me. Optimus, if I don't fight, we are outnumbered six to four. I know what will happen to me if you are defeated, and if I die, I would prefer to go down fighting. My father did train me to fight, and I am of the Witwicky clan – I have Witwicky blood if you will. I am descended from Sam and Mikaela Witwicky of the Great War - My clan is a warrior clan."

She noticed that every time she said Witwicky they flinched as though slapped in the face, and when she said "is", Cheetor looked as though he was about to say something, but Rhinox stepped on his foot – "Yeow!" Again, she said nothing. "Li, I'm afraid not, I can't put you in danger."

Meanwhile, the Predacons were exploring outside their base and Dinobot was having a fit. "No. No. NO! It's all wrong. This can not be Earth." He turned around and looked into the ship. "Megatron, you failed. Not only did you fail to destroy the Maximals when you had the chance, you failed to bring us to the right planet! We stole the Golden Discs for nothing." He threw the disc in his hand at Megatron's feet and yelled "You idiot!"

Megatron chuckled. "I beg your pardon? What did you call me?" "You heard, you are an idiot and an incompetent leader and I am taking over. Dinobot Terrorize!" He reverted to his robot form. "I challenge you to battle, Megatron. The winner shall lead the Predacons, and the Loser, shall be destroyed." "Ah. You're so impulsive, Dinobot. Brave, but misguided." "Do you accept my challenge?"

Megatron laughed. "There's more to being a leader than simple courage. Well there's cleverness and cunning as well. Isn't that right, Scorpinok?" Megatron stepped aside to reveal Scorpinok in his robot form, his missiles aimed at Dinobot. Dinobot's jaw dropped. Scorpinok fired and sent Dinobot flying out many parsecs away.

Megatron sneered. "Loser. What does it matter which planet we are on? We came looking to find Energon and this planet is rich with the element. Enough Energon to power the Predacons' entire galactic conquest. Only the Maximals can give us trouble now, if they survived. Find them. And if you find them, destroy them." His crew took off.

Back at the Axalon, the Maximals and Li were finding what systems they could repair and moving stuff about. As Ratrap dragged a piece of metal out to where Optimus, Rhinox and Li were, he complained, "Man, all this for a Golden disc." "It was Cybertron's most carefully guarded relic, Ratrap. It gave the location of a major Energon source. That's why Megatron stole it." "Yeah, like I care. You know we were supposed to be doing deep space exploration. Huh. Playing galactic patrol wasn't nowhere in my job description, you know what I'm saying? You sure you cut out for this Commander gig?"

Optimus groaned. "Remember the Great War, Ratrap? If the Predacons get enough Energon, they'll start it again. We can't let that happen." Li, who had been listening covertly, knew it was time to speak up – about what else was on those discs – Ratrap might have a little more enthusiasm if he knew what was at stake. Besides, they all needed to know what they were getting into.

"Optimus, it's not just that." She refused to meet his eyes in her fear. "When I was little, I was so small that Father, being an Autobot, could hold me in his hand and close it without hurting me. I would train myself as a game to hide from him and follow him without him knowing I was there, often he'd catch me, but once he didn't. I followed him into a secret meeting of the Council of Elders – one where they discussed the Golden Discs.

"Optimus, those discs – the location is Earth, but it is more than that. Secretly embedded in those discs are the locations of the Earth crash sites of the Ark, the Nemesis, the Energon Cube - the Allspark - , the location of the origin of the Human Race, and all valid dates…"

Rhinox, Optimus, and Ratrap's eyes went wide, and Ratrap was the first to speak. "You mean… he … could erase our entire existence?" "Yeah, if we're on the right planet… that's what I've been figuring out. All of the life form readings match so far, the land plates are a match for what would have been around 4 million years ago well… but there are two things throwing me off, and I suspect they are throwing Megatron off as well."

Optimus looked deadly serious. "What are they?" "The first is that there is far too much Energon. Now in the next 4 million years that could easily change. However, the other one is not so easily changed – this planet has two moons – Earth has only one." "I see."

Cheetor came out and immediately noticed too cheetahs running speedily away. "Hey, check it!" Optimus looked up at them. "They're fast all right. You chose a good form." "Hey, you think that's speed? You ain't seen the Golden Rocket! Check this!" Cheetor yelled and shot off. Optimus yelled, "Cheetor! No." Cheetor didn't listen and kept going.

Optimus slammed his comlink. "Cheetor, return to base immediately. We don't have time for this!" Li rolled her eyes. "He's a kid, Optimus." "So, it's ok?" "No, I mean, he impulsive and wants to have fun – he'll learn, with a bit of the right guidance."

Optimus sighed. "Cheetor, please respond." The comlink fizzled out. "No good," said Rhinox. "The Energon fields mess up the comlinks. Anything over a hundred meters, they ain't worth scrap." "Well, that's just Prime," replied Optimus. "So ah, this your first day on the job or what?" asked Ratrap. "Shut up Ratrap." Ratrap stood and mockingly saluted. "Oh, yes sir! You know uh, I feel heaps better knowing that our lives are in your capable hands," Ratrap sighed. "We're all gonna die." Li bit her lip. "Can I slag him Optimus?"

Out in the open, the racing cheetahs were joined by Cheetor. "The names' Cheetor. What's shakin' cats?" The cheetahs flipped out and fled. Cheetor came to a pit stop. "What? Is it my breath? Hey, hey wait!" He ran to catch up.

A big wasp came out of nowhere. The cheetahs flipped out again, hissed and took off. "Hey wait! It's just a big bug. The way those two reacted, that's no natural life form. And if we're talking about unnatural life forms, then we gotta to be talking about just one thing: Robots in disguise! Cheetor Maximize!" He leaped into a flip and reverted to robot form.

"Time for this cat to pounce." He aimed his quasar launcher and started firing. "Bz Bzz Bzz!" The giant wasp evaded the shots and yelled. "Waspinator under attack. Waspinator engage enemy. Waspinator terrorize!" Waspinator transformed and started exchanging his own fire and Cheetor leaped out of the way.

Back at the Axalon, the other Maximals saw the laser fire. Ratrap said, "Uh oh." Optimus picked him up and jumped on Rhinox's back who was already moving. "Li, stay here!"

At the fight scene, Cheetor rolled and fired. The battle raged. Optimus, and Ratrap rode Rhinox at full speed with Ratrap whining about how Li got to stay behind. There was rock wall ahead. "'Ey heads up! Roadblock!" Ratrap yelled. Optimus yelled, "Veer left, there's a road block about a hundred meters." Rhinox just plowed through. "Ah yes. Silly me."

Back at the Axalon, Li was frustrated. "Why do I have to stay behind?" Then she noticed something she hadn't before. There was a strange symbol in the rock face near the ship. She grabbed a scanner and went over to it. The scan showed great alien energy surrounding the symbol. She reached out to touch it and a blinding white light flashed around her.

At the fight scene, the battle raged, and Cheetor landed in a chasm behind a rock and his weapon jammed. "Of all the times for a quasar jam." "Cheetor!" He heard Optimus call. He looked up and there were Optimus, Ratrap and Rhinox on the cliff. "Get to cover! We'll swat that pesky Predacon."

"Oh," called Megatron from the other cliff, with Terrasaur, Tarantulas and Scorpinok. "I would not count on that, Maximals. No." He laughed. "I believe that you are soon to have, how shall I put it? Difficulties of your own. Yes."

"We don't have to do this, Megatron. There has been peace between the Maximals and Predcons for centuries. Why start this up again?" "Peace perhaps on your side, Maximal scum. Yes. But not on ours. Permit me to inform you that an enemy that appears to be peaceful, may in fact be biding it's time." Cheetor got the jam out. "Finally." "We Predacons have never abandoned our rightful goal of galactic conquest. We have merely been waiting… for the right moment… TO STRIKE!"

Cheetor leapt out from behind his rock and fired at Megatron. "You mean like this?" "Cheetor!" yelled Optimus. "Ooo. A treacherous, underhanded, sneak attack! Hoo hoo. I like you pussycat. Yesss. But it shall avail you not! No! For now the Power Gaunlet has been cast! Predacons Terrorize!" "Do it!" Yelled Optimus. "Maximize!"

After every transformer transformed, Megatron yelled, "Now! Obliterate them!" And the Beast Wars began. One shot blasted a rock and a large slab fell on Cheetor's leg. "I'm stuck." Optimus yelled, "Ratrap help Cheetor. We'll cover you." Ratrap snorted. "Yeah right." "That's an order, Ratrap!" "Yeah, and you can just kiss my skid plate, 'cause I ain't going out there and getting my pelt punctured. You know, Li might've."

Optimus growled in frustration. He leapt out and turned on his jets. He flew towards Cheetor but as he was nearing the kid, Megatron fired and hit his jet. Rhinox yelled his name. Ratrap laughed. "See? Told ya." Optimus landed by Cheetor, blasted away the rock and helped him up. "Do not let them escape!" Yelled Megatron. More fire.

Ratrap was grabbed by Rhinox. "Hey!" "Cover fire! They need it, we give it! Now!" He stood up and turned around, firing with one hand, and holding the screaming and firing Ratrap in the other. Every Predacon was hit, and Optimus yelled, "Back to the base! Let's go! Let's go!" "After them! Go you arrghh!" Megatron was overtaken by Energon overload as were the rest of his crew. "Waspinator cannot move." "Energon field buildup. Convert back to beast mode."

Later, the Maximals were returning home in beast mode. Optimus was thinking about what Ratrap had said about Li. Li would have followed orders. Li had a clear head and quick thinking. And she was a good warrior – he had seen her train. If they were going to be here for a while, they would need all the warriors they could get against Megatron. Perhaps he had been wrong to keep her from fighting.

Optimus growled and grabbed Ratrap. "Hey! What's got your servos so bent?" "Let's get one thing straight Ratrap. I am Commander of this group. And when I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed!" "Oh yeah? So I get vaped 'cause you're too chicken to go yourself?" "I will not give an order I would not be willing to do myself!" He sighed. "But I was capable of giving you better cover fire, you were not." He threw him on his shoulders.

"Ahh come on. What are you shorting about? We got out of there alive, didn't we?" "But injured. It'll take time for our beast forms to affect internal repairs." "Ah. Yeah well… better you than me." Cheetor ran to catch up. "I think we gave them the fade, Optimus." "Keep your sensors on full. According to the Golden Discs theft reports, there were six Predacons. One of them was missing from the battle. He may already be at the base – Li may be in danger."

"Well umm… maybe he was destroyed in the crash," said Ratrap. Rhinox replied, "That kind of luck, we haven't been getting lately." "Tell me about it," said Cheetor. "Look." On the narrow bridge, that was the only way back to the base, stood Dinobot in his beast form. "Should we blast him?" asked Rhinox. "Keep that option open," replied Optimus, "but hang on." He walked out to meet Dinobot.

"Attention, Maximals!" yelled the Predacon. "My name is Dinobot. I have left the Predacons to join your group, as leader." "What? Did I hear the word 'Leader'?" Cheetor asked. "This guy's got bearings of chrome steel." Rhinox remarked.

Ratrap commented, "Ya know according to the Witwicky Doctrine, we have to have a Human Liason, and by Human Law and Human Honor, Humans are forbidden to be under the command of a Decepticon or a Predacon – she'd have to kill you or die trying." Cheetor continued on Ratrap's line. "And as her crew, we would be honor bound to avenge and arrest the Murderer of our Human Crewmate, if she was killed." Rhinox saw where this was going. "If you challenge and kill Optimus, we will eventually all be honor bound to challenge you to the death. And that will mean either your death or everyone else's – if you think you can take us. Which would be pointless."

"Enough. I challenge you Optimus Primus to a one on one battle, the winner shall lead the Maximals, and the loser shall be destroyed."

**Cyberton, Present Day; The Chamber of the Council of Elders**

Lord Rodious Prime, Chief of the Council of Elders slammed his massive hand onto the circular table. "Order! I will have Order. Yes, this Megatron of the Predacons has succeeded in stealing the Golden Discs. The entire existence of the Autobots, the Maximals and even our Allies the Humans is in grave danger. Megatron's ship used trans-warp drive to escape. Fortunately one of ours locked on to their warp signal and was pulled in. The bad news is that, it was a scientist ship bound for deep space exploration. They must learn to be warriors.

"We now have the name of that ship. Lord Bumblebee, I fear, it was the Axalon." "What?!?! NO! Not Lisa, it can't be-" "Incoming transmission of unknown origin."

Lord Rodious Prime looked up. "That's odd, how they get past security?" "Unknown." "Play transmission." On the screen before them appeared Lisa "Li" Witwicky – she was in white brilliance, and her eyes glowed white – it was evident she was not herself. "Lisa?" Lord Bumblebee whispered.

Many voices spoke through Li. "WE ARE THE VOK. THIS BEING HAS WILLINGLY AGREED TO ALLOW US TO SPEAK THROUGH HER. SHE WILL HAVE NO MEMORY OF IT. THE ONES YOU SEEK HAVE LANDED ON THE PLANET EARTH AS YOU NOW KNOW IT, 4 MILLION YEARS AGO – OUR PRESENT DAY. THIS BEING, SHE IS THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN. WE WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HER AND HER ALLIES AND HER ENEMIES. WITH YOUR PERMISSION, WE WISH TO LET THEIR BATTLES PLAY OUT AND ALLOW US TO OBSERVE IT, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE, AND TO PROTECT THEM IN THE PRESENT. WE WILL PRESENT OUR FINDINGS REGULARLY TO YOU. AND IF NEED BE WE WILL INTERFERE TO PROTECT OUR PRESENT DAY CHILDREN. IS THIS ACCEPTABLE?"

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Beast Wars  
**(movie continuity)

**Episode 2  
****Beast Wars**

**Part 2**

**Characters:**

**Maximals:  
****Optimus**** Primal  
****Rhinox  
****Ratrap  
****Cheetor  
****Dinobot (****Predacon)  
****Li (Human)**

**Predacons:  
****Megatron  
****Scorpinok  
****Tarantulas  
****Terrorsaur  
****Waspinator**

On the narrow bridge, Optimus and Dinobot neared each other for the challenge. Dinobot reassured Optimus of his defeat to come, saying that one would lead and the other would fall to his doom in the pit. "I don't want to fight you!" declared Optimus. "You do not have a choice," stated Dinobot. "Your base is back there, and no one crosses this bridge until you fight me."

"Don't we get a say in this?" asked Rhinox. "Oh whatever. Let chopperface and the boss monkey duke it out. No fur off my tail." That was Ratrap. "No way! Hey scalebelly! How about you try a piece of the bad kitty, huh?" "Cool your circuits, Cheetor. I wouldn't send anyone to do something I wouldn't do." "Oh, so now you tell us!" "Arrgh. Dinobot, this is ridiculous. We're Maximals, you're a Predacon."

"All the more reason I should lead them." "Look I don't know what happened between you and Megatron-." "Megatron! Megatron will fall as soon as I have your Maximals at my command." "You are welcome to join us. But you shall not lead."

"I beg to differ. For in anticipation of my new role as leader, I have already reprogrammed my activation code. Dinobot Maximize!" "Optimus Primal Maximize!" Dinobot advanced, while Optimus held his ground and waited.

"I'm going in there!" yelled Cheetor. "Cheetor Maximi-." Ratrap muzzled him. "Clam it kid. Nailing the chopperface from behind won't solve anything." "Yeah," Rhinox stated grimly. "Like it or not, we have to let them finish."

Dinobot ran toward Optimus and Optimus flipped him over his back. Dinobot bounced a few times and then flipped back unto his feet and into a kick, which knocked Optimus onto his back, dislodging rocks from the bridge to the ground far below. Optimus shook the dizziness from his head and looked up in shock and then glared. As Dinobot brought his sword down, Optimus gave him a knuckle sandwich that spun his head around and he fell down. Optimus put his blade to Dinobot's throat… in a Maximal challenge that would mean that he had won.

"I still live. Finish it," demanded Dinobot. Optimus put one of his swords away and offered Dinobot a hand up. "That is not how we Maximals do things." "Then that will have to change – what the slag is that?" Optimus turned to look in the direction of the base, and his eyes went wide, as did the eyes of the others. A great white beam of light flowed into the sky.

"Li!" Optimus stumbled forward and lost his balance, nearly falling from the narrow bridge. Hanging from one side, he was at Dinobot's mercy. Dinobot grabbed him and threw him up on the bridge. "Let's finish this." "What are you doing? You've won!" "You slipped, due to the interference of the beam. To defeat you in such a manner, would be lacking in honor. I would not have earned the right to lead. I prefer to beat my opponents the old-fashioned way – brutally!" They exchanged blows with their swords.

"For a Predacon, Dinobot, you have qualities I could like." "And you have proved to be a worthy adversary. I will have you recycled with full honors." "Well, that's just Prime!"

Hidden from their view, the beast mode Predacons watched. Megatron commented, "Well, this is an interesting site. Yes. Optimus and the traitor Dinobot engaged in battle, and behind them a strange energy source gives off that beam of light." Scorpinok eagerly asked, "Wh- Who do you think's gonna win?" Waspinator replied, "Ooo, Waspinator pick on Optimus."

"Heheheh," Laughed Tarantulas. "The winner isn't what interests me. It's that light. And finding out what it is." "Nor me, no," said Megatron. "How much more preferable it would be if they both lost, and we got the energy source. Yes. Megatron terrorize!" All the Predacons reverted to robot mode.

Hearing the noises, Ratrap looked up in alarm. "Yo! Shift your scanners due east there, pals. This party's got big time crashers." "Fire!" Ordered Megatron. The Preds blasted away at the narrow bridge on which Optimus and Dinobot battled. Cheetor's eyes went wide as he saw this and yelled, "OPTIMUS!"

Optimus turned to look and shifted to Beast Mode, grabbed Dinobot and jumped from the bridge. Rhinox and Cheetor looked down the deep chasm seeing nothing, and Cheetor called his name and then bowed his head in grief. Optimus' voice suddenly called out, "If you guys aren't doing anything, a little speed would be prime." He was hanging from the bridge by just one gorilla foot upside, and hanging on to the robot form foot of Dinobot, while the Preds continued to fire.

"Destroy them!" yelled Megatron. "Let's go! Cheetor Maximize!" "Rhinox Maximize!" Rhinox tapped rat form Ratrap on the head. "Hey, hey, hey. You go and get yourselves slaged 'cause I ain't.. huh alright alright." He said as Rhinox picked him up by the neck and turned him so that he was looking him in the face.

Dinobot began to short out from the Energon. "Aarrrgh… Too much Energon! I can't take it!" He yelled. "Hang on!" Optimus yelled back. "You can't transform in this position." "Let me fall – save yourself!" "Now where would the honor be in that?" Optimus was slipping – now he was only holding on by one toe. "You have no choice!" "Then we both go!" Optimus lost his grip and they fell.

They fell only a few inches, as Rhinox grabbed Optimus' leg. "Going up," Rhinox said as he pulled them both up. Dinobot transformed. Megatron yelled, "All of the Maximals are on the bridge! Destroy it now!" The barrage began.

The Maximals with Dinobot now included ran towards their base, the other side of the bridge collapsing as Ratrap the last one ran over it and just as Ratrap was about to cross onto land, the last of the bridge fell and he with it. Only Optimus' outstretched hand grabbing his and pulling him to safety saved his life. "You're welcome." "Um it's your job as leader." Optimus growled.

Megatron was about to slag some of his crew for incompetence, when Tarantulas noted the energy source was still emitting the light, and Terrorsaur pointed out that some of their missiles had revealed a lot of Energon in one of the mountains. "Forget the energy source for now, we will see about it later, if it is still emitting the light. Energon is our primary mission here. Let's get going."

"Megatron's on the move! Bearing 6-1-7-5," Cheetor informed Optimus. "He's after the Energon. A crystal that size would make him unstoppable." "Oh thanks a lot for the hot tip, chopperface," replied Ratrap. Optimus turned to Dinobot, "Will he send flyers?" "Oh for Bootnut cold, you're not going to going to believe a Predacon are ya?" Ratrap whined.

Optimus looked at him. "That's my call." He turned back to Dinobot. "Will he?" "Negative. That crystal is too big for flyers. Only Tarantulas has the skill to cut it." Optimus looked at the Energon mountain, then towards base and then back at the mountain. Quickly he made his decision. "Then we have to get there first. All _five _of us."

"Yeah all five of us. Hey wait, five? But Optimus, Li is back at base," Ratrap commented. "I'm not talking about Li. I'm talking about Dinobot. Li wanted to be a full member of the crew, and now she has her chance. I feel sure she can handle that energy source on her own, and we can't spare any one right now. I just hope she's not in any danger. Let's go." "What? Chopperface is going with us? We're all going to die."

**Cybertron****, Present Day, Chamber of the Council of the Elders**

"No, it's not acceptable! How dare you take over Lisa's body! And allow a war to take place? Unacceptable!" Lord Bumblebee was furious. Lord Rodious Prime put his hand on Lord Bumblebee's shoulder. "Calm yourself, Bumblebee. Please excuse him. He is her adopted father. He is concerned for her wellbeing."

Li looked at him. "EXPLAIN THESE WORDS – ADOPTED, FATHER. WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND." Lord Prime was visibly shocked that he was dealing with a species that did know the word father. "A father is a male parent." "EXPLAIN – MALE, PARENT. WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND." This species was very different indeed. He would attempt to be clearer.

"Among our race and many others, there are two 'genders' or types – 'males' and 'females'. It takes a male 'parent' and a female 'parent' to create a child or children. Parents often raise children to 'adulthood', a stage in life where they can be full members of society and even create and raise their own child or children.

"The being you have taken, is an 'orphan,' a child whose parents were killed before they could fully raise her to adulthood – in fact at a stage in life, where if she were not cared for, she would die. Lord Bumblebee, being friends of her family, stepped in and 'adopted' her– took on the responsibility to raise her as if she were his own child.

"AND RAISING CHILDREN TO ADULTHOOD OFTEN BRINGS BONDS BETWEEN CHILD AND PARENT. WE UNDERSTAND. LORD BUMBLEBEE, KNOW THIS, YOUR CHILD IS UNHARMED BY THIS – WE WOULD NOT ALLOW IT. SHE HAS ALSO AGREED TO IT WILLINGLY."

Lady Acree cleared her throat. "Excuse me, friends. I am Lady Acree. I am curious as to why you refer to Lisa as the 'future of your children'. Do you have a problem with satisfying my curiosity?"

"NO. ON THE PLANET YOU NOW CALL EARTH, WHERE AND WHEN THE MAXIMALS, AND THE PREDACONS ARE BEGINNING THEIR 'BEAST WARS,' WE ARE CURRENTLY, IN OUR TIME PERFORMING EXPERIMENTS WITH CREATING A PURELY ORGANIC WORLD. YOU SEE, WE ARE NEITHER TECHNOLOGICAL NOR ORGANIC, BUT A FORM YOU DO NOT KNOW. WE DO THIS PURELY FOR SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE. WE HAVE ALSO DEALT WITH TECHNOLOGICAL LIFE NOT UNLIKE YOURS, YET FAR, FAR MORE PRIMITIVE."

Lord Hot Shot, impulsive in his youth, was furious, but stayed calm. "I am Lord Hot Shot. Your experiments involve playing God – an omnipotent, omniscient being who can or thinks he or she can do anything they wish? Including creating sentient and sapient life forms?"

"YOUR CONCERN IS VALID. OUR EXPERIMENTS WERE NEVER INTENDED FOR SUCH PURPOSES – OR TO GO SO FAR – SOMEHOW THERE WAS AN ERROR ON OUR PARTS EVIDENTLY. NOW THAT WE KNOW, THOUGH… WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO TERMINATE IT AND STOP THAT LIFE FROM EVOLVING. WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO ERASE A RACE FROM EXISTANCE – ESPECIALLY OUR OWN CHILDREN. THAT IS WHY WE NEED THIS INFORMATION. THE HUMANS HAVE NOT YET BEGUN TO EVOLVE, WE HAVE NO IDEA WHICH SPECIES THEY WILL EVOLVE FROM, AND YET WE NEED TO PROTECT THEM FROM BOTH SIDES.

"AND WHO IS TO SAY, THAT IT IS NOT THIS CONFLICT WHICH CAUSES THEM TO EVOLVE? WHAT IF IT IS SOMETHING THAT THE MAXIMALS TEACH THEM, OR SOMETHING THAT THEY DO TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THE PREDACONS – OR EVEN SOMETHING WE DO TO PROTECT THEM?"

"And what of death?" Lord Prime asked. "EXPLAIN DEATH." Lord Prime's jaw dropped. Lady Acree fainted, and Lord Hot Shot caught her, while nearly falling out of his own chair. All were in shock. For evidently they were dealing with a race that did not die – and how do you explain death to a deathless race that has never met a race that dies? It would be like trying to describe the color purple to a Human born blind – which with those born so; they still had not been able to cure.

"With our race, we each are born – or come into existence. However there comes a time when creatures of many races, including Transformers, Humans and other life forms on our worlds die – our physical bodies stop working permanently and become empty shells. For animals, plants, and techno life without sparks, there is nothing else.

"For Humans, their spirits, their souls or internal eternal selves move on to another plane of existence which neither we nor they understand completely – we less then they - and a lot of what happens to them there depends on how they lived their lives here. For us Transformers, our sparks pay for our crimes and then become one with the Matrix. The reason, we are concerned is that most of us are not ready for that to happen yet."

"AHH. YES. DEATH. WE ARE BEING TO TRULY LEARN OF THIS CONCEPT FROM THE ORGANIC LIFE THAT NATURALLY LIVES AND DIES ON ITS OWN. LIFE FORMS ONLY TAKE LIVES TO EAT AND SURVIVE. ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE MAXIMALS AND PREDACONS WILL KILL WITHOUT THE NEED TO EAT?"

"That is what war is. The Predacons sometimes kill for no reason. Mainly they want Galactic conquest though – the violent take over of the Galaxy. However, Maximals usually don't kill unless they have to. They don't harm those who can't fight back. And they give those weaker a chance to surrender. The Maximals only fight to protect."

"UNDERSTOOD. WE PROPOSE A COMPROMISE. ONLY THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO DIE WILL DIE. FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT, WE WILL PROVIDE A WAY TO REVIVE THEM. IS THIS ACCEPTABLE?"

Lord Prime put it to a vote. Lord Bumblebee was the last to vote. "Lord Bumblebee? I want it to be unanimous." Lord Bumblebee was silent for a moment. "Fine." Lord Prime looked to Li on the screen and nodded. "You have our permission, Vok." She nodded and the screen went blank.

**Earth, 4 million ****years ago**

Nightfall came, and the Maximals; Dinobot included neared the mountain. Rhinox asked how Optimus' repairs were coming and he replied that they were completed. Rhinox suggested that in robot mode, Optimus could fly to the mountain faster than any of them, but Optimus insisted they stick together. "The Predacons could attack at any moment and there could be other surprises from this unknown planet other than that beam of light." "There are."

A hundred meters below them lay an unusual stone formation, alien in nature, not natural, not built by the Predacons or themselves. "Interesting." There was no time to study it for Pred flyers were incoming.

After a brief skirmish with Waspinator and Terrorsaur, they traveled on. Both Preds and Maxs were informed that within the mountain, they would be unable to access robot form and would have to battle in beast mode. Megatron said that he would handle Optimus personally.

The two teams met on the field of battle, broken by large Energon crystals. Megatron made his speech. "Across the galaxy, it has come to this, Optimus Primal; face to face, tooth to claw. Yes. Have you anything to say?" "I'd said that's just prime. Let's do it! Rawr!" The two factions ran at each other and collided. It was cheetah on giant wasp, rhinoceros on giant scorpion, giant rat on pterodactyl, giant velociraptor on giant tarantula, and gorilla on tyrannosaurus rex.

It was quite a fight with Maximals either winning or not giving up. Megatron demanded that Optimus admit defeat. "Never!" He threw Megatron headfirst into a wall. "You surrender! You're trapped!" "No! You shall not defeat me!" He broke free and charged Optimus, ramming him into the mountainside. While Optimus recovered, Megatron bit and bit hard into Optimus' leg. Optimus screamed, and Megatron bit him again in the leg, revealing the circuitry within.

Optimus knocked him away. He got up and grabbed Megatron's tail. He swung Megatron around and threw him into the mountain. He began to advance towards Megatron, but his damaged leg sent spasms of pain knocked him down. He cried out and grabbed his leg. "It is over, Megatron!" "It is never over! No!" He transformed. "For if I must die, I shall take you with me!"

He fired a rocket at Optimus, which Dinobot heroically knocked out of the way and into the Energon crystals launching an explosion. Rhinox yelled, "It's gonna blow!" "Time to fade, heroes!" All transformers leaped for their lives, as the mountain exploded.

Rhinox took the lead as Optimus was knocked unconscious by the exploded. He carried the offline Optimus on his back, and led Cheetor, Ratrap, and Dinobot back to base, where they noticed that the light beam was gone. "That's odd. Hmm, perhaps Li was able to secure it and shut it off," Rhinox surmised.

"Well, if she did, can we go home now?" "No. The ship's slag, there's still more Energon, and Megatron might come back," Rhinox replied. Dinobot nodded. "Agreed."

Back in the base, Rhinox had Cheetor shut off the ship alarm, and then placed Optimus in the CR chamber and then called for Li. "Mmm. Rhinox is that you?" Rhinox replied, "Affirmative," and Li asked what happened to the rest of the Maximals.

Ratrap turned and stared at her, "Didn't you hear the explosion? An entire mountain exploded!" "Um, no. I kinda of fell asleep soon after you guys left." "Asleep? A warrior does not sleep while on guard duty!" Dinobot snarled. Li snarled back. "Rhinox, what the slag is this Pred doing here?" Pure hate blazed in her eyes.

Dinobot too glared at the young human "A human? You allow a human here?" he continued, forgetting his recent allegiance change. "This is why you Maximals will lose this war, and the Predacons will remain supreme!" Ratrap piped in, "Ah shut it Chopperface, Li this guy here wants to take down Megs, so the Bossmonkey 'allowed' him to join our ranks." Rhinox bellowed, "Dinobot, Rattrap both of you stop talking this instant we need to sort things out still."

Li narrowed her eyes. "Fine. By Human Law, and Human Honor, I can tolerate a Predacon crewmate, if a trusted Maximal or Autobot Commander orders it. What do we need to sort out, Rhinox?"

Rhinox continued speaking, calmer, this time. "The Predacons have all survived, and have also taken beast forms. The Energon on this planet is far greater then any I have ever seen, Optimus will also be offline for a while as he repairs damage from the Predacon attack. Li, what happened here? We saw a flash of light emit from the base"

Li looked puzzled. "I don't know. I was in a deep sleep the entire time - I barely remember setting the alarms and the sensors and making it to bed, before I woke up to the sound of your voice." She walked over to her computer console, and began looking in the sensor logs. "Odd. The computer doesn't register it either."

Ratrap pipes in once more, "Ay, Bossmonkey said, you'se could fight with us after all. We need all the help we can get, but I wouldn't fall asleep if I was you, or Dinobutt over there might eat cha!" getting a groan out of Rhinox a snarl out of Dinobot and Li just jumped for glee. Rhinox looked at the CR chamber. "For now, let the battle be here on this unknown planet. And let it be called Beast Wars."


End file.
